This painting of Jesus coming up out of the water during his baptism is a commissioned work at the request of Pastor Joseph Reidling of King’s Church in Arcadia, Ohio. It represents the baptism for the remission of sins and baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’s baptism was unique. John the Baptist, had been baptizing hundreds of people in the Jordan River before Jesus came to get baptized. John was calling for people to ask forgiveness of God and repent of their sins. Jews already practiced ritual water purification, so this was not something new. Yet John said in Matthew 3:11…
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Matthew 3:16 says…
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
John felt unworthy to baptize Jesus, yet Jesus insisted that it must be fulfilled, since Jesus stood in proxy for mankind. Jesus was baptized by John as an act of obedience for the symbolic Jewish ritual of purification from sin, and as he came out of the water, the Holy Spirit came down and baptized Jesus in the power and infilling of the Holy Spirit of God. The water is symbolic of washing our sins away. Baptism of the Holy Spirit symbolizes burning up the chaff of sin completely and giving us supernatural power from God who comes to live inside us. When we repent of all our sins, give our lives to God, and invite Him to live inside us, our spirit is joined with the Holy Spirit of God and we become born again as new creations into the family of God.
Before his ascension into heaven Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father. …
Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
